Pyramus and Thisbe
by year of the snake
Summary: Izark and Noriko the Star Crossed Lovers. Read to see what I mean. Friend who knows who she is better not read this.


Disclaimer: I don't own From Far Away or it's characters. The very talented **Kyoko Hikawa **owns that particular splendid tale. Nor do I own the ancient tale of Pyramus and Thisbe. And the rating may be wrong (I did my best.)

By: year of the snake (at fanfiction) aka. crescentmoon (at mediaminer). And now Opal-Dreams on DeviantArt.

**Pyramus and Thisbe**

Noriko sat up in her bed. She had too many dreams with this weird and wonderful warrior, he called himself 'Izark'. They weren't really dreams, she knew but she couldn't understand what it really was. Back when her father had thought that she was just a daydreamer with a sci-fi geared mind, like his own, he had suggested that maybe she was making up a story about a rip in time and space to allow her character to speak to the strange man of another world. But now he and his wife believed she was crazy. They'd go to check on her at night and find her talking to a being she truly believed was there. Noriko had tried to introduce them but there was no one there. At least they couldn't see anyone.

Izark was handsome, and lived in a world she couldn't completely understand. Not when she lived in Japan. It was a dangerous and beautiful place, a place that paralleled her world but was very little like Earth. Some of the people there, Izark included, had 'super powers'.

She could only see him and not his surroundings, but sometimes he could see when someone came into the her room with her.

Her parents were worried, this didn't appear to be a storybook tale but a desperate need for mental help.

Her grandfather believed her. He even once had sat on her bed with her and conversed with the apparition of the young warrior. He could see the man. After talking to the young man he wasn't worried. But he couldn't convince his family that maybe Noriko saw and heard things that no one else could. When he had confessed that he too had seen Izark they thought maybe he was taking on symptoms of dementia. To avoid being put in an old folks home he stopped and denied ever seeing Izark. He said he just wanted to help his only granddaughter not feel alone.

And so Noriko was left with 'the voices in her head.' "What if they start telling Noriko to do dangerous things? We have to try to protect her from them! This has to stop." her mother's worried voice drifted to Noriko as she lay in bed after a brief talk with Izark.

"I know." her father rumbled, he was in mourning over what he knew had to be done. "I've heard of a facility that helps people who hear voices. I think maybe we should send her there."

"What! How could we send our daughter away to… to… to a crazy farm!?!"

"What else can we do?"

"What about a shrink? Anything has to be better than sending her away."

"We'll try that."

"Izark," Noriko whispered, "Izark are you there?"

"Yes."

"Izark, my family thinks I'm crazy for talking to you. They think you're all in my mind."

"Sometimes I wonder if I made you up. Maybe I'm the crazy one." he answered. "But you, Noriko, you could never be crazy."

"Izark, I know you can't be crazy. You're too close to perfect."

'Perfect…' he thought. 'I'm the Sky Demon, I'm the farthest thing from perfect there is.' But it felt too good to be unconditionally loved and appreciated to complain.

In the next week Noriko had her first appointment with her shrink. It didn't seem to help. In fact that very night they talked for the longest time they ever had.

Still her parents continued to send her to the shrink. 'Often,' they told themselves, 'things get worse before they get better.'

Then following three months of having shrink visits three times a week Izark suddenly stopped coming. Noriko stopped talking to the strange man only she could see and hear… or so her family thought…

In truth she just learned that they could speak without speaking. Their minds talked to each other much like you could speak to a friend who has known you for years. They could block any thought they wished so the other person couldn't hear it, but speaking in their minds became more natural then it should have been.

Noriko stopped telling her family of her nightly visitor. Her brother would occasionally tease her over Izark but otherwise it was not brought up. One time her brother introduced her to a new friend of his like this, "And this is Noriko, my little sister, careful she's hiding a knight in her closet."

Noriko glared at him with red cheeks. His mother was a little upset at him for bring up 'that knight'. If it wouldn't seem overly suspicious she would have whacked him with her dish towel.

That night her parents and brother had a long talk about what was acceptable talk outside of family, make that close family.

"What's wrong with joking with her? It's not like she's talking to him anymore."

"And what if your reminding her makes her visit with him again? Did you think of that?" asked his mother sourly.

He sighed, "No. But she's in her room and I don't hear anything. So I don't think it had adverse effects."

"There's nothing we can do about it now. We'll just have to watch her carefully for the next few days." the man of the house soothed.

His wife sighed, "Your right. But you young man are grounded for a week, and you are never to bring up your sister's 'imaginary friend' again. Do you hear me?"

"Yes, mom."

Noriko smiled knowing her secret was safe. The walls of this old house didn't block much of the noise. (Ironic, isn't it Izark? They're so against me talking to you that they think that even the slightest mention of you will drive me to the point of insanity. But is it insane to talk to someone from a different world? I don't think it is, but I do understand their point. If it hadn't happened to me I would have thought the same. That makes me feel like such a horrible person.)

(No Noriko, that just makes you human.) replied Izark.

(I guess…)

(Noriko… I must go. I will talk to you again.)

(Goodbye Izark.) Noriko sighed. "He's gone." she whispered. Then she let sleep enter her mind.

Nearly a year after Noriko and Izark began talking there was a surprise waiting for her when she got home from school. "Izark!" she whispered with happy surprise. (What are you doing here so early?)

He smiled at her, it was both happy and sad. (Noriko, whatever allows us this time together will close in two months time. We will no longer be able to speak like this.) He reached to caress her face but his hand fazed through her.

(What!?! No!) She barely managed to keep that inside her head.

(I'm sorry Noriko. I want to tell you… No I shouldn't.)

(What is it Izark?) She was desperate for a way out, a way to continue what they'd started.

'Do I really want to know what she'll choose… between me and her family?' Izark swallowed. He had to ask. (Noriko, before the 'rift' as you call it, closes it will expand. I will become tangible to you. During this brief period you will be able to come to my world, but I will remain unable to travel to yours. Do you understand? I will be stuck in my world but you will be able to join me here.)

(Oh Izark that's wonderful!)

(No, Noriko. You will be able to come, but I will not allow it. This world is too dangerous… I am too dangerous.) That last part was barely audible as Izark was unsure whether or not to let her hear it.

(Izark please, I want to be with you!)

(Noriko, you would never be able to see or talk to your family and friends again.)

Her arguments ceased.

'It is as I thought. Good.' He hurt dearly. 'I knew it would be this way so why does it hurt so?' (I'm going now.) Then he faded from his shallow existence in this world.

Three seconds too late Noriko screamed in her head, (Izark wait!) but he was gone.

For half a week Noriko spent more time then ever in her room. She was trying to contact Izark. She became dismal, like a zombie or a brainwashed goon. She barely ever made it to school and ran home but she did so without the emotion that usually came with running.

Izark was stubborn and ignored her calls. He thought he was doing what was best for her.

After that half week Noriko would only call once a day before school, with no answer. It was as if they were already blocked from each other.

On what would be the third day of that Izark finally broke down to his own desire. He had to see her, he had to talk to her, to attempt to touch her even if he would be tortured by his inability to do so. He had to return to his love, to Noriko. Izark had decided he would beg her to come to his world if he had to, but he would convince her to come with him.

So after school he was there in her room, or more accurately his spirit was there, his body was locked in a inn room he had rented.

Noriko yelled, "Izark!" She was lucky she was home alone at the moment. Noriko flew at him and fell through him. She had tears streaming down her face. "I missed you so much!" she wailed.

(Noriko…) Izark's chest was suddenly much lighter, his mood was elevated to a height he had never before experienced. (Noriko.) He smiled at her while she fussed over him.

(Izark…) She bit her lip while talking to him. (I want to go with you.)

(But what about your family?)

(I think I can bare being separated from them, but I can't bare being so long without you again. Izark say you'll let me come to you.)

(Yes.) he sighed, (I will.)

Once again Noriko tried to hug him but fell through him instead.

And so it was planned for Noriko to 'run away from home' to join the 'enemy' so they could achieve their 'happily ever after'. But things are never that simple in fairytales and certainly not in real life either.

On the day that she would have to join Izark or be forever left alone in her own world Noriko went to school like normal. She was very nice to everyone as that's how she wanted them to remember her. Then after lunch she pretended to be sick so she could go home in time to get through the portal.

Her mother fussed for ten minutes when she arrived home and insisted that she stay downstairs and sit at the table. Her mother made her something to help her feel better. Noriko pleaded that she was too tired to eat and that she just wanted to lay down and sleep. Her mother let her go to bed.

Then as quietly as she could she packed a few things and finished her preparations by sitting down to write her goodbye forever note. Next she taped the note to her door and sat on her bed to await the portal that she must enter alone. Izark had said there was a high likelihood that he wouldn't be able to come help her through it because of the enormous strength of the portal.

Just as the portal started to sizzle at the base of her dresser the door flung open. Her mother had come to check on her and found her note.

"Noriko!" she yelled. "Don't you dare run away from me!"

"Mom! Step back!"

"No! Now come downstairs this instant." Her mother grabbed her arm and dragged her toward the door.

Her brother had an early out day at school. He could hear the commotion coming from upstairs. He ran up there quickly and he saw his mother pulling on Noriko. Noriko was trying to go to this fissure in the air. It looked like someone had taken a knife to a curtain and the other side was pitch black. Not even stars could have brightened this amazing blackness.

"Help me!" their mother yelled at him.

And he did. They made some real headway. She was out the door and down the hall in but a minute. The last Noriko saw of the portal it was started it's agonizing shrinking process.

"Let me go! Please, let me go!"

When they got her down the stairs she broke down, she stopped trying to escape. She would never make it back in time to get to the portal. She just began bawling. They set her down on the last step. The two members of her family that were home attempted to consol her but it didn't work. So they left her to cry and get all her tears out before they talked to her again.

When they came back just five minutes later she wasn't on the stairs anymore. She had to of made a mad dash to her room. But when they checked it she wasn't there, everything was normal in her room. The fissure was gone.

Just a few minutes earlier, Izark was in the limbo, created by the portal, the black of the fissure, waiting for Noriko. He knew that if he didn't return to the outside of the fissure soon the portal would close and he would be stuck in the crushing limbo. He would die. But he couldn't leave, not without Noriko, and without Noriko death was preferable.

Suddenly something hit him hard. His little Noriko. "Noriko! You came!"

"Of course I did, I promised didn't I?"

He was about to answer when there was a loud groaning creak, the portals were getting close to closing. "Hurry back into your world, we'll never make it to mine."

"But you can't go to my world. And I'll not leave you!"

"We'll be crushed if we stay here. Come on." He pulled her to where she had come from. He got to the small slit that was her room when it snapped closed and the pain for them began as quickly. And it was over twice as fast.

Dead persons, dead souls cannot be kept in this limbo and so they were dropped into the nearest world.

When Noriko's father rushed home to help in the search for his daughter they checked her room one last time. There on the floor next to the bed were Noriko and Izark, side-by-side. Noriko's head resting on Izark's shoulder as they both clasped each others hands in death. After all love is stronger than any separation in this world or the next.

Izark was to be put in an unmarked grave as no one knew who he was. But Noriko's grandfather identified him as Izark Kia Taj and they buried him next to Noriko. These words were on both Izark Kia Taj and Noriko Tachiki's head stones, A Love Stronger Than the Separation of Worlds and Death.

_**The End**_

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Hello everyone. I wrote this around Christmas-time I believe. I have been waiting to put it up because my friend and I had a deal to each write their own version of this story using the From Far Away characters. She wanted to see if I could write sad stuff. She's not allowed to read this yet so I'll rely on you good people to tell me how I did.

This is based on the Greek or Roman story of Pyramus and Thisbe. I think Shakespeare may have used Pyramus and Thisbe to write Romeo and Juliet. Anyway the story changed a lot in my retelling of the abridged version of Pyramus and Thisbe that I have. So I recommend that if you haven't read it that you do.

By the way oh friend of mine if you are reading this and version is not done when I find out (because you know I will) you will be in a heap load of trouble. =D

It's been a while since this series first started coming out. And I just have to say this is one of the best series I have ever read. I love it SOOO much that I bought them all, I have bought and given some to the above mentioned friend of mine, I have gotten my brother's wife reading them, and one of my nieces. Aw my circle of love. If you haven't read this series it needs to be put at the top of your list.

Thanks for reading. Please review. Goodbye.


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